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Post by bluedemon25 on Jun 16, 2021 5:40:04 GMT
I know due to age differences some of us were around when XTC started (very groovy) and some such as myself were not but got into them much later in life. I found it an utter joy, delighting in much or the output album, Fuzzy W, etc...
I wasn't present on the old forums so forgive me if you've said this before, but I'd like to know for those willing to share:
When did you get into XTC?
What in your initial impressions grabbed your attention/ got you to like them?
After we now have all their official studio output and much live, what albums ( and live shows) do you like best. Bonus for saying why.
For me, I cant remember fully, but I think around the early 2000s I started to explore their cds put out then. I think Oranges and Lemons and Chips From The Chocolate Fireball were amongst the first and I love that 60s psych kind of music and was extra heavy into it during the early and mid 2000s. From there I realized hey this wonderful band has such great stuff on those albums, I'd like to check out more they did and in doing so found much more to also love. To this day I stil haven't done as much listening to the first two albums, mummers and big Express but plenty for the others. Not to say no listening of Go2 and White etc... but not enough to feel I can give an informed solid opinion as well as my feelings on the other albums. I do love Nonsuch and Black Sea, and definitely parts of drums English and skylarking. Not at familiar with wasp star as apple venus. I sure do love Easter Theatre. Again every album has something I like but the O&L, Nonsuch, Dukes, and maybe black sea are top tier favs followed not far behind by drums sky and English..I may change my feelings once I have enough start to finish big Express and meddle and wasp star listenings. I'm psyched for the next bluray and the failed songwriting series having much enjoyed fuzzy. Thanks for thinking and sharing I'd you do.
Btw, as unpopular an opinion as this may be perhaps a favorite track is Open A Can or Human Beans. Something about the uplifting feeling it gives me when I hear it from the way they sing it does it for me.
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Post by Nonsuch Ned on Jun 16, 2021 14:13:48 GMT
When I was 14-16, I started getting interested in actually "good" music, and as that was the late 80's/early 90's, during the alternative/grunge explosion, that was a good time for such a thing. I and my best friend spent an unhealthy amount of time watching MTV (I lived in the small town boonies of Northern-most Michigan- there wasn't much to do if you didn't like outdoor activities) and I would record Headbanger's Ball and 120 Minutes every weekend. When Nonsuch was released, Andy appeared on an episode of 120 Minutes with the host (Dave Kendell) and they filmed segments all around New York. It was one of the most brilliant things I had ever seen. Andy was, of course, hilarious. Although I had already seen and been intrigued by the Peter Pumpkinhead video, that show also broadcast a handful of other videos, "Dear God" having the biggest impact on me. That week, before or after a fast-food shift, I went into the K-Mart by my workplace and found that they not only had a couple copies of Nonsuch, but also a single copy of Skylarking, so I picked up Skylarking. Loved it. Found O&L a couple weeks later in a used CD store, got Nonsuch within a couple months.
Skylarking remains my favorite album, 1000 Umbrellas has steadily been my favorite song. Some people say their favorites shift often. That doesn't apply to me much.
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Post by bluedemon25 on Jun 16, 2021 23:08:49 GMT
That must have been neat to see the 120 minutes segment. I think I also started exploring to find "good music", not satisfied with most of my same age peers' tastes. Some exposure hearing cds in parents car but they were never heavily into music, I was and became more so. Initially a bit later than yourself probably initially mid 90s to late 90s start of the 00s in my preteens to teens. Had a friend or two that we'd get together at my house to listen to a record (used vinyl was cheap and easily available and I had my uncles turntable gifted to me). Othertimes cds which while not cheap at the time were affordable enough to overtime build a collection. We'd sit listen and then talk. Lots of Genesis vinyl and other 70s 80s stuff, some 60s music occassionally which I got much more into in college. I'm glad to have found this forum to talk music (at least occasionally) with fellow fans.
Thank you for sharing Ned.
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Post by Introvertigroo on Jun 17, 2021 2:11:58 GMT
When I was 14-16, I started getting interested in actually "good" music, and as that was the late 80's/early 90's, during the alternative/grunge explosion, that was a good time for such a thing. I and my best friend spent an unhealthy amount of time watching MTV (I lived in the small town boonies of Northern-most Michigan- there wasn't much to do if you didn't like outdoor activities) and I would record Headbanger's Ball and 120 Minutes every weekend. When Nonsuch was released, Andy appeared on an episode of 120 Minutes with the host (Dave Kendell) and they filmed segments all around New York. It was one of the most brilliant things I had ever seen. Andy was, of course, hilarious. Although I had already seen and been intrigued by the Peter Pumpkinhead video, that show also broadcast a handful of other videos, "Dear God" having the biggest impact on me. That week, before or after a fast-food shift, I went into the K-Mart by my workplace and found that they not only had a couple copies of Nonsuch, but also a single copy of Skylarking, so I picked up Skylarking. Loved it. Found O&L a couple weeks later in a used CD store, got Nonsuch within a couple months. Skylarking remains my favorite album, 1000 Umbrellas has steadily been my favorite song. Some people say their favorites shift often. That doesn't apply to me much. 120 Minutes for me, as well. It was the first time I heard Peter Pumpkinhead and Dear God. I was fourteen when Nonsuch came out, and I enjoyed it, but it took a few years to really kick in. I dug it out of a pile of cds when looking for something to listen while home from college break my junior year and was blown away by how good it was. As it turns out, Apple Venus was released about a week later, so I got the pleasure of listening to that while catching up on the older music. Favorite album--AV Vol. 1 (Nonsuch close behind) Favorite track--vacillates between Harvest Festival and Life Begins at the Hop, two songs not even remotely similar to each other.
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Post by donavan on Jun 17, 2021 3:35:06 GMT
XTC found me in 1977 with a little help from John Peel and Tony Wilson. 3D EP is my favourite and I watched them live from this time forward. Much better live. Play loud or not at all. I guess I peaked at Black Sea. Word to the wise, never meet your heroes. Or better still, don't have heroes. But it's been a blast.
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Post by bluedemon25 on Jun 17, 2021 6:34:51 GMT
Don, since you got started at their start with 3D, did you hear either live or otherwise any of the Helium Kidz stuff around the time it came out or shortly after? Was any of that pressed even if very limited prior to 3D EP? I know those studio boots exist. Did any of it get played on John Peel or did that start with 3D there for them?
Guys, I see what looks like an 88 and a 92 mention of XTC on 120 Minuted. I dont know if there were others. Which one(s) did you mean?
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Post by donavan on Jun 17, 2021 12:34:40 GMT
No didn't know about Helium Kidz at the time. It was from 1977 onwards for me. I don't get the last bit you asked about 88 + 92?
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Post by bluedemon25 on Jun 17, 2021 12:57:14 GMT
To clarify I'm saying it appears XTC were guests on 120 multiple times. For example I see videos on YouTube that say they are a 1988 show and a 1992 show. I dont know how many additional times if any they were on 120. Some of our forum members made mention of 120 minutes being part of their introduction to XTC and I was wondering which show they caught first and any details they remember of the show content. I never saw any; I'm curious about them.
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Post by donavan on Jun 17, 2021 18:04:55 GMT
Never heard of 120. Must be a show over your place. Wasp Star was a great album to go out on. Doing what they do best, pop music. They were much more than that but pure pop tunes with a twist was their forte.
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Post by Introvertigroo on Jun 17, 2021 19:12:14 GMT
120 Minutes was a late night show on MTV, back when the channel actually showed music videos, which featured what at the time tended to be labeled "alternative" music. I don't recall if I saw the appearance by Andy that Ned mentioned, but it was my introduction to the band's videos.
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Post by donavan on Jun 18, 2021 10:29:02 GMT
I was late to cable TV. It's funny how some music channels don't actually play music. Maybe I'm old fashioned to expect such a thing.
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Post by Nonsuch Ned on Jun 18, 2021 13:08:08 GMT
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Post by Terra Incognita on Jun 18, 2021 19:07:11 GMT
Heard Dear God on an alternative music station. I was a teenaged closet atheist in a very backward town and time -- revealing my true colours would have resulted in ostracism and verbal abuse. The song soothed my soul, if you'll pardon the expression.
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Post by Introvertigroo on Jun 18, 2021 19:11:02 GMT
You're the mayor now, Terra; you're the one with the pardon power.
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Post by Terra Incognita on Jun 18, 2021 19:20:59 GMT
I feel... I feel like... I feel like...
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